Another Rate My Diet Thread

Penn

Looking to lose a serious amount of weight. Going to the gym 4 times a week, mostly cardio. A bit of HIIT at the weekends added in too.

When it comes to diet, I'm not great. I never used to eat fruit and veg, but I'm trying to incorporate more and more into my diet. So my diet at the minute doesn't really include much.

BREAKFAST:
Bowl of porridge with a little bit of honey. A medium portion, not a big bowl.

LUNCH:
Usually a wrap with a breast of chicken, slice of turkey, lettuce and taco mayonnaise (Never used to like lettuce but getting used to it now)

DINNER:
Usually Meat (usually chicken) with small portion of spuds and a raw carrot.
Sometimes chicken curry with wholegrain rice.

SNACKS:
Cashew nuts or almonds

OTHERS:
Weekends and stuff I might have some scrambled eggs or make a ham omelette

DRINKS:
Mostly water, which I actually used to hate drinking but not so bad now. about 1.5l a day. Other times, either a glass of low-fat milk or orange juice (I know the orange juice probably isn't the best, but if I don't get something like that every once in a while I'll end up drinking a lot of Lucozade like I used to before I started this)



I was wondering if anyone had any advice or anything. Also, I used to get a lot of fibre in my diet as I used to have bran flakes every morning and loads of bread. Is there anything high in fibre I could get, perhaps something to add to the porridge?

Also, does anyone have good advice regarding smoothies? I was thinking of using smoothies as a way to get more fruit and veg into me, perhaps alternate between porridge and smoothies

Also, I have high cholesterol (hereditary, but my weight and old eating habits didn't help either), so can't have too many eggs (although the whites are okay). Anything else that could help me lose cholesterol?

Burkatron

Ok, 1st of all if you're comfortable giving it out whats your current height & weight & what would be your goal in terms of weight loss?

Your diet although relatively clean is very lacking in quantity! Cleaning up your diet will initally help you lose weight as improvement is always good BUT you wont be able to keep it up for long & your body will adapt & start storing food as fat! IMO you need to add a mid morning snack & a post lunch snack,you should be eating 5-6 times a day! These extra meals/snacks (depending on portions of other meals) can be a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit,a smoothie maybe later down the line a protein bar or shake! If you get enough fruit and veg fibre shouldnt be a problem!

On the training side,weights are definitely a big help in upping your Basal metabolic rate,this is the amount of energy your body uses while at rest & the higher it is the more fat you'll burn! Focusing on functional lifting is usually the best way to go so Squats,deadlifts,military's are great lifts for this!

In your post you havent mentioned if you drink alcohol or eat any take aways on the weekend or mentioned anything too bad bar a vague reference here

When it comes to diet, I'm not great.

Anything like this you havent included?

The Mayo clinic have a good article on foods for lowering cholestorol here:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002

Penn

I'm about 5'11", and 18.5 stone. I'm hoping to maybe get down to 13 stone by next May at the latest, although target weight depends on how much muscle I put on too. Haven't got a body fat percentage done or anything

Adding snacks might not be a bad idea. I eat breakfast at 7 in the morning and don't get lunch til 1. While I said cashews or almonds as a snack, this only happens maybe once or twice a week.

I do mostly cardio at the gym, but also a few of the weight machines. Not too sure of the actual names for them but lats, chest and legs mostly. I've also bought a set of dumbells and am planning to use these on days I don't get to the gym.

I rarely drink alcohol, not just because of trying to lose weight but I was never much of a drinker anyway. Might get a takeaway maybe every 2 weeks, although trying to cut that out too. If I do get a takeaway, I'll do extra work in the gym.

When I said my diet wasn't great, I was worried that I'm not eating enough fruit and veg, or eating too much of the same things like chicken and not getting a varied enough diet. Also, I have yet to calculate my average calorie intake and requirements

Burkatron

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

I'm about 5'11", and 18.5 stone. I'm hoping to maybe get down to 13 stone by next May at the latest, although target weight depends on how much muscle I put on too. Haven't got a body fat percentage done or anything

Ok so thats roughly 2lbs a week which is a very realistic suastainable rate so thats a good start. Body fat although a good test isn't necessary,you can go by the scales, (then eventually also what you see in the mirror & how your clothers fit) try weiging yourself once a week roughly same time, same day & use that as your benchmark.Say take wednesday before breakfast as your body weight fluctuates throughout the day with fluid & food intake!

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

Adding snacks might not be a bad idea. I eat breakfast at 7 in the morning and don't get lunch til 1. While I said cashews or almonds as a snack, this only happens maybe once or twice a week.

You defo should be aiming to eat 5/6 times a day just to keep your body ticking over, as I said either add small macks or change your main meal portions & even them out through the day!

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

I do mostly cardio at the gym, but also a few of the weight machines. Not too sure of the actual names for them but lats, chest and legs mostly. I've also bought a set of dumbells and am planning to use these on days I don't get to the gym.

How long have you being going to the gym for? It'd be an idea to start varying your programme up every 5-6 weeks on average(depending on results,type of programme & gains ofcourse) so your body doesnt start to get use to your routine
Machines have their uses but free weights are far better as you hit more muscles as you have to stabilize where as machines stabilize for you!

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

I rarely drink alcohol, not just because of trying to lose weight but I was never much of a drinker anyway. Might get a takeaway maybe every 2 weeks, although trying to cut that out too. If I do get a takeaway, I'll do extra work in the gym.

This is great but if you enjoy takeaways every other week isnt too bad. A cheat meal is a good reward & can help with motivation.Having nothing to look forward to can be completely soul destroying!

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

When I said my diet wasn't great, I was worried that I'm not eating enough fruit and veg, or eating too much of the same things like chicken and not getting a varied enough diet. Also, I have yet to calculate my average calorie intake and requirements

You can do that on a site like http://caloriecount.about.com/ it also has loadsa support groups & other tools such as diet journals and the like so you can keep track of how youre getting on!

Im sure I've missed stuff,no doubt someone else will pick up on! Anything else just ask!

Penn

Burkatron wrote: »

Ok so thats roughly 2lbs a week which is a very realistic suastainable rate so thats a good start. Body fat although a good test isn't necessary,you can go by the scales, (then eventually also what you see in the mirror & how your clothers fit) try weiging yourself once a week roughly same time, same day & use that as your benchmark.Say take wednesday before breakfast as your body weight fluctuates throughout the day with fluid & food intake!

My plan was to take a picture of myself and weigh myself at the beginning of each month. Might weigh myself each week instead and just take a picture each month. Already feeling jeans and stuff be a bit looser on me, but still a long way to go

Burkatron wrote: »

You defo should be aiming to eat 5/6 times a day just to keep your body ticking over, as I said either add small macks or change your main meal portions & even them out through the day!

Already kind of changing meal portions. During the week, if I'm going to the gym that evening, I'll have a bigger lunch and maybe scrambled eggs or omelette when I get home. Too late to eat a big meal at that time.

Burkatron wrote: »

How long have you being going to the gym for? It'd be an idea to start varying your programme up every 5-6 weeks on average(depending on results,type of programme & gains ofcourse) so your body doesnt start to get use to your routine
Machines have their uses but free weights are far better as you hit more muscles as you have to stabilize where as machines stabilize for you!

I had been going for about 5 weeks, 4 times a week. But the last 3 weeks I've barely gone as I hurt my leg a few weeks ago and the diet went to pot too. Started back last night and planning on 4 times a week again. An hour on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and an hour and a half Saturday and Sunday mornings. Might get the instructor to set me up with some free weights then. Although I'll still mostly be sticking to cardio

By varying up the programme, do you mean changing what I do or just increasing how much of the same thing I do, like heavier weights or greater resistance on the cardio machines?

Burkatron wrote: »

You can do that on a site like http://caloriecount.about.com/ it also has loadsa support groups & other tools such as diet journals and the like so you can keep track of how youre getting on!

Im sure I've missed stuff,no doubt someone else will pick up on! Anything else just ask!

No man you've been loads of help. Cheers very much

Burkatron

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

My plan was to take a picture of myself and weigh myself at the beginning of each month. Might weigh myself each week instead and just take a picture each month. Already feeling jeans and stuff be a bit looser on me, but still a long way to go

Either or dude.You just need to set yourself a benchmark!Going by what you wanna lose though Id go with weighing myself once a week just so I know Im on target.You can go for short term,intermediate & a long term bench marK. So weigh yourself every week in the short,take a picture every month as the interm & then your target weight as long term.Setting goals is defo the way to go!

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

Already kind of changing meal portions. During the week, if I'm going to the gym that evening, I'll have a bigger lunch and maybe scrambled eggs or omelette when I get home. Too late to eat a big meal at that time.

Ah I know the feeling duder!I end up getting a post lunch slump & then eating loads just before bed anyway! When this does happen!
Not a recommended way to do it but if it does happen no carbs after 6 helps!

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

I had been going for about 5 weeks, 4 times a week. But the last 3 weeks I've barely gone as I hurt my leg a few weeks ago and the diet went to pot too. Started back last night and planning on 4 times a week again. An hour on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and an hour and a half Saturday and Sunday mornings. Might get the instructor to set me up with some free weights then. Although I'll still mostly be sticking to cardio

The key is enjoy it,so if you prefer cardio (One of those weirdos :P) to weights stick with it!

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

By varying up the programme, do you mean changing what I do or just increasing how much of the same thing I do, like heavier weights or greater resistance on the cardio machines?

You should be aiming to increase weights & resistance as often as you feel possibly.Then after 5-6 weeks to stop your body adapting just switch it up.Change the order you do your routine in,switch excercises,change the days you do these things on,change reps to weight ratio,just to do something different to shock your body! A change can be as good as a rest!

Just an example of what I mean..I do alot of MMA training/BJJ tournaments so during the year I cycle my weight programmes. Best example I can think of is last year I bulked up to 12 1/2 stone (I was 5'6 and 11 stone before) just weight training (bill starr 5x5) and a seafood (clean food) diet I got to August (I think) a month out from the All Ireland BJJ tournament (I suck,went out 2nd round) & weighed in on the day 11st even! That was from 4 weeks of again eating right just cut back on the portions & doing light weight high reps in HIIT circuits! After that I hit a hypertrophy phase which would consist of a split body programme & every set 8-10 reps by 4 did 5 weeks of that & then after the BJJ Dublin opens started back 5x5 strength training.So I was varying my excercises,reps routine,evevrything. I probably couldve explained that better!

Penn

Sound advice man. Cheers.

The diet was one thing I was really worrying about. If there's no major problems with it, I'm good to go